Also 6 lavesse. [f. LAVISH a.]
1. intr. To be lavish. † a. To be profuse in expense; to plunge into (excess). Also to lavish it. Obs. b. To be lavish of words; to exaggerate. Obs. c. Of rain: To pour along in torrents. rare.
1567. Maplet, Gr. Forest, 105. He, fearing the Female to lauish and to be no sparer of such vittailes as they haue … stenteth the Female.
1613. R. Cawdrey, Table Alph., Lauish, to spend extraordinarily.
1614. D. Dyke, Myst. Self-deceiving, xxii. 274. The Scripture saith not the minister may luxuriously lauish it, but onely liue of the altar.
1625. Cooke, Pope Joan, 69. You lauish when you talke of 400. yeares after. For I haue prooued vnto you alreadie, by the bookes that are yet extant, that it was knowne sooner.
1625. Bp. Mountagu, App. Cæsar., 217. S. Aug. in commending him did not lavish at all, where he saith, that he was … magni nominis [etc.].
1642. J. Ball, Answ. Canne, I. 54. You lavish somewhat when you say without limitation [etc.].
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 162. His Father dying soon,… he … lavishes into Excesses not approved of.
1830. Galt, Lawrie T., III. iii. (1849), 90. The rain came lavishing along as if the windows of heaven were opened.
2. trans. To bestow, deal out, distribute, or spend profusely and recklessly; also with away, out. Const. in, on or upon, rarely to.
a. with material object. Also, to shed (blood) in profusion.
1542. Udall, trans. Erasmus’ Apophth., 135. Those persones, who of a ryottousnesse did prodigally lauesse out and waste their substaunce … vpon cookes, or reuellers [etc.].
1592. Nobody & Someb., in Simpson, Sch. Shaks. (1878), I. 288. Helpe us to lavish our abundant treasures In masks, sports, revells, riots, and strange pleasures.
1611. Bible, Isa. xlvi. 6. They lauish gold out of the bagge.
1650. W. Brough, Sacr. Princ. (1659), 407. Shall all be lavished away that should be so laid out?
1692. Washington, trans. Milton’s Def. Pop., xii. 229. That he might … lavish out in one House, the Riches and Wealth … of three Nations.
1713. Addison, Cato, II. i. We lavish’d at our deaths the blood of thousands.
a. 1715. Burnet, Own Time (1724), I. 245. Money, which she lavished out in a most profuse vanity.
1786. Burke, W. Hastings, Wks. 1842, II. 143. That excessive salaries and emoluments … have been lavished by the said Warren Hastings to sundry individuals.
1796. Campaigns 1793–4, I. I. ix. 92. ’Twas a pity brave men should be lavish’d away.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., II. 156. The children … lavish all their holyday money in toys.
1851. D. G. Mitchell, Fresh Glean., 129. The savings of the week are lavished upon the indulgences of Sunday.
b. with immaterial object.
1581. Sidney, Apol. Poetrie (Arb.), 67. But I haue lauished out too many wordes of this play matter.
1621. Quarles, Esther, v. E 3 b. Each Virgin keepes her turne, and all the night They lewdly lauish in the Kings delight.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, II. xxxiv. (1840), 95. Pity it is that any pity should be lavished on them.
1653. trans. Hales’ Dissert. de pace, iv. 19. Is it credible that he will lavish out so excellent gifts … on men depraved with so many errors.
1672. Dryden, Conq. Granada, I. i. Ev’ry Life You lavish thus, in this intestine Strife.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Praise Poverty, Wks. 1730, I. 100. Lavishing your favours.
1763. W. Harris, in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden), 40. His good nature … was lavished away on those who had least pretence to his favour.
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., xxi. To see her lavish some kind looks upon my unfortunate son.
1845. Ford, Handbk. Spain, I. 50. [Nature] lavishes … her fairest charms where most unseen.
1856. H. Rogers, Ess., II. viii. 368. No end of controversy has been lavished on the philosopher’s precise view.
1861. J. Martineau, Ess. (1869), II. 400. The blind force of instinctive life … Plato treats with none of the admiration lavished on it by Mr. Carlyle.
Hence Lavisher, one who lavishes.
1611. Cotgr., Gaspilleur, a spend-all,… lauisher.
a. 1619. Fotherby, Atheom., II. i. § 8 (1622), 189. God is not a Lauisher, but a Dispenser of his blessings.
1634. Sir M. Sandys, Ess., 209. Let those Lavishers then, that made the Covetous their Voyders, Live so thriftily, as to pay their debts in their life time.
